Conventional managed information environments, such as a Storage Area Network (SAN), typically employ an interconnection of storage arrays operable for storing large quantities of data, in which the storage arrays are responsive to a management application such as an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) based application. The SAN includes a plurality of host computers coupled to users for storage and retrieval of the data in the storage array devices. The SAN, therefore, supports an enterprise such as a corporation or business entity with conventional information storage and retrieval services via the SAN. The SAN management application allows administration activities, such as monitoring and maintenance of the storage arrays, for ensuring maximum throughput and efficiency of the data to and from users via the SAN.
A conventional SAN, therefore, employs a plurality of hosts, each connected to one or more storage arrays. The storage arrays each include a plurality of individual storage units, also known as disk drives or spindles, operating as an integrated storage medium. In a configured SAN, each of the storage arrays may have different numbers, types, and arrangements of the storage units, and are often from multiple vendors. Further, the storage within a storage array may be partitioned or designated according to data redundancy or protection schemes, such as shadowing, journaling, and RAID arrangements, and may also be partitioned for usage by certain subsets of users. Accordingly, tracking consumption of available storage and identifying areas of excessive or sparse consumption becomes a formidable task.